West Hempstead Man Gets Probation for Dogfighting

A West Hempstead was sentenced Tuesday to probation, community service and will not be allowed to own any pets for five years after he admitted to participating in dogfighting.

Hector Hernandez had pleaded guilty in August at Nassau County court to animal cruelty and animal fighting.

Prosecutors said the 27-year-old man had dogfighting equipment—including chains, a treadmill and dog tether—on his property, where investigators acting on a tip found numerous pit-bull dogs caged in a shed, multiple chickens and one rabbit in January.

Two of the dogs, Roja and Nana, had fresh bite marks on their front sides while the other six dogs were found in poor living conditions, authorities said.

Judge Sharon Gianelli also sentenced Hernandez to $1,200 in fines and ordered Hernandez to sign a spot-check agreement to ensure compliance with the pet ownership ban.

Hernandez will additionally be required to sign up for county’s new Animal Crimes Registry, which shelters and pet stores are required to check before allowing an applicant to adopt a pet.

Timothy Bolger is the Editor in Chief of the Long Island Press who’s been working to uncover unreported stories since shortly after it launched in 2003. When he’s not editing, getting hassled by The Man or fielding cold calls to the newsroom, he covers crime, general interest and political news in addition to reporting longer, sometimes investigative features. He won’t be happy until everyone is as pissed off as he is about how screwed up Lawn Guyland is.